European Union – Conflict of laws. The Court of Justice of the European Union made a preliminary ruling concerning the interpretation of arts 4(1), (2), (4) and (5) of the Convention on the Law applicable to Contractual Obligations. The request had been made in proceedings between Haeger & Schmidt GmbH, a company governed by German law, and Mutuelles du Mans assurances IARD, Va Tech JST SA (Va Tech) and others, concerning compensation for loss suffered by Va Tech during the carriage of a transformer it had purchased for the purposes of its business.